BEING CONNECTED TO THE REBBE IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT

The Rebbe said: If you would listen to me you should stay here, because over there you will get to know others, but over here you will get to know yourself. * A compilation of Chassidishe stories on the topic of hiskashrus to the Rebbe

By R’ Chaim Ashkenazi a”h

KNOW YOUR PLACE

A certain wealthy man once suggested a project to restore the town of Lubavitch. The Rebbe responded: Lubavitch? That’s right here!

THE MEKUSHARIM GO OUT

The Chassid R’ Peretz Mochkin explained the Chassidic saying: a tzaddik, after his 120 years, goes into Gehinom to take out his mekusharim (those who were bound to him heart and soul). R’ Peretz asked, why doesn’t the tzaddik take out the entire generation? Why does he just save his mekusharim?

The answer is, all those who thought the Rebbe was a human being like everyone else and was just on a somewhat higher level than them, think that he also has some sin. So they see their Rebbe enter Gehinom and they think, he is probably also here to atone for his sin, which is why they don’t go over to him and ask him to take them out.

But those who are truly mekusharim to the Rebbe know that the Rebbe has no connection with sin whatsoever. When he appears in Gehinom they understand that he came down there just in order to save them. So they ask him to take them out and he does so.

(Heard from R’ BM)

NO SITTING

When R’ Shneur Zalman Garelik went to the Rebbe for the first time for yechidus, the Rebbe got up for him and told him to sit down. R’ Garelik did not want to sit in the Rebbe’s presence, especially when the Rebbe remained standing.

The Rebbe said that since he [R’ Garelik] was the senior Chabad rabbi, the Rebbe wanted him to sit. R’ Garelik did not agree.

The Rebbe said, if so, he would remain standing.

R’ Shneur Zalman said: I would not have come here from overseas for a gaon in Nigleh or a gaon in Chassidus. I came here only in order to meet the Rebbe and you don’t sit by the Rebbe.

Hearing this, the Rebbe sat down and the yechidus began. R’ Garelik remained standing throughout the yechidus which lasted three hours. At the time he was eighty years old.

(Heard from R’ AG)

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE

R’ Dov Yehuda Shochet (the brother-in-law of R’ Chadakov) once spent Shabbos at the Rebbe. When he heard that the Rebbe did not plan on farbrenging, he said to him: Since this is Shabbos Parshas Naso which is the parsha of the n’siim, the Rebbe should farbreng.

The Rebbe accepted this and said that the farbrengen would take place at 1:30.

(Heard from SBB)

THE REBBE’S LETTER

R’ Chadakov once met someone and asked him: Did you receive the Rebbe’s answer?

The man said he had received what was called a general-personal letter (since most of the content was sent to numerous people), and it was apparent that he was not pleased to receive such a letter (as opposed to an entirely personal response from the Rebbe).

When R’ Chadakov told the Rebbe about this, the Rebbe said: I thought he wanted a response that derives from what I am immersed in, but apparently he wants it to be from what he is immersed in.

BELZER MIRACLE

A Belzer Chassid went to the Rebbe in the early years of the nesius and asked for a bracha for his wife who was very sick. The Rebbe said: Since you are a Belzer Chassid, we will do this the Belzer way. Do you care if some gentile woman gets the illness instead of your wife?

The Chassid said he did not care. If so, said the Rebbe, your wife is healthy.

The Chassidim explained, what did the Rebbe mean when he said he would do it the Belzer way? Once, a Chassid went to the “Sar Sholom” of Belz (Rabbi Sholom Rokeach, 1779–1855) and asked for a bracha for a refua shleima.

The Sar Sholom said: I cannot help you.

The Chassid said: Who can help me?

The Sar Sholom mentioned the name of a gentile who lived in a certain city. The Chassid went to that city and asked for that person. They told him that this was the local priest. The Chassid was embarrassed to go to the priest to ask to be healed but he had no choice. He went to the priest’s house where he found out that the priest had died. He went back to the Sar Sholom and said: I did as you told me but the man died.

Said the Rebbe: If so, you will be healthy.

WHERE IS THE KVIUS

When R’ Chanzin went to the Rebbe for the first time in Tishrei, he was a guest at the Rebbe’s Rosh Hashanah meals. At one of the meals, someone asked: What will those who came from Eretz Yisroel do on the second day of Yom Tov (on Sukkos)?

The Rebbe said: We have a rav here from Eretz Yisroel who will pasken. However, R’ Chanzin did not dare to speak and pasken in the Rebbe’s presence.

Once again, the Rebbe said: We have a rav here from Eretz Yisroel … This happened a number of times until finally R’ Chanzin said: The kvius goes according to the Rebbe.

The Rebbe said: But you have schools in Eretz Yisroel? (R’ Chanzin was one of the directors of the Reshet Oholei Yosef Yitzchok).

KNOW YOURSELF

A non-observant girl had yechidus and said that she did not think ideas should be forced upon anyone; everyone should do as they saw fit. She explained her position for a while until finally, the Rebbe asked her: Why did you come here?

She said: They brought me here.

The Rebbe said: You just explained to me that you don’t think you need to take orders from anyone.

Then he asked her: Do you have a question you would like to ask?

She said she was deciding whether to go to India to see what it was like, or whether to go to university.

The Rebbe said: If you would listen to me you should stay here, because over there you will get to know others, but over here you will get to know yourself.

She remained in America and became religious and established a Chassidic home.

THE REBBE WAS HIS SHADCHAN

An American fellow had yechidus. He did not have a beard. The Rebbe said that a Jew needs to have a tzelem Elokim (referring to a beard).

A year later, when he came for yechidus again, the Rebbe said the same thing, and so too the following year. The third time, the young man said he was willing to commit to growing a beard, but he asked the Rebbe to help him since he was afraid that the parents of a girl he wanted to marry would not want him to have a beard. He asked the Rebbe to be the shadchan and the Rebbe agreed. The Rebbe intervened and they got engaged and today he is a Lubavitcher living in Crown Heights.

TESTING THE REBBE

In the early years of the Rebbe’s leadership, a man who was dressed as a Polisher Chassid entered 770. He asked the Rebbe for a bracha for a certain person.

When the Rebbe heard what he had to say, he lowered his head and grew very somber. He said: He is already in the World of Truth.

The man was thrown out of 770 because they realized he wanted to test the Rebbe and to make a mockery.

STAMPS FOR DEEDS

The Rebbe once received a letter from a child in which the child wrote that since the Rebbe received many letters from all over the world, could the Rebbe send him the stamps for his collection. The Rebbe told the secretaries to save all the stamps that came that week and to put them in an envelope. At the end of the week, the Rebbe enclosed the stamps with a letter to the boy which said that since the Rebbe complied with his request, the Rebbe asked him to commit to doing a good deed to hasten the coming of Moshiach.

REASON TO WORRY

A Lubavitcher went to the Rebbe while the Rebbe was about to enter his room and was putting the key in the lock. The man asked the Rebbe for a bracha for a baby who was very sick. The doctors said the situation was hopeless.

Upon hearing this, the Rebbe turned around, raised his hands and said: Since when are they in charge of this?

The Chassid said: If so, can the Rebbe give a bracha?

The Rebbe said: If it depends on me, I give all the brachos.

The Chassid wanted to be sure and he asked: So there is nothing to worry about?

The Rebbe said: The only thing to worry about is why Moshiach has still not come!